Mad For You
by Shadow Koneko
Summary: Hinata tries to her best to try and break up a fight between Naruto and Kiba. Little does she know, that she's cause of the problem. Oneshot . One sided NaruHina, KibaHina, NaruHinaKiba .


Note: I absolutely adore this pairing and wanted to do a short oneshot for them. So, I decided to take a break from my fruits basket story and write this KibaHinaNaru oneshot (it's more KibaHina of course) but I still love the idea of this love-triangle.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: Hinata tries to her best to try and break up a fight between Naruto and Kiba. Little does she know, that she's cause of the problem. (One sided NaruHina, KibaHina, NaruHinaKiba).

* * *

Mad For You

Kiba Inuzuka stood in the center of the familiar training grounds, the same ground he spent every Saturday morning on. His dark onyx eyes darted around in a circle, looking at each of the faces surrounding him. Standing nearby were his sensei, Kurenai, and his teammate, Shino Aburame. His brown locks ruffled lightly as a gust of wind blew through the open area. Kiba looked down when he heard a tiny whimper. He grinned down at his companion and lightly patted his head.

"Don't worry, Akamaru. She'll be here soon," Kiba said calmly. He knew she wasn't going to miss this day for anything in the world.

"I hope so," An obnoxious voice muttered from near Shino and Kurenai. Kiba shot the voice's owner a fierce glare. The complainer was Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto returned Kiba's look and folded his arms across his chest, "What? I'm tired of waiting."

Kiba thought that after all these years Naruto would have grown up more. He had to admit, the blonde boy had grown up some, but not as much as everyone expected. Physically, he had matured. He was just as tall as Kiba and, according to some of the girls, he was good looking now. Kiba scoffed at the idea. And Naruto had gotten a lot stronger. He had probably done a lot of secretive training.

But that was it.

He was still immature and oblivious and Kiba had no idea why she still loved Naruto. What did Naruto have that he didn't?

Kiba was sure that he was just as handsome as Naruto was, but he knew that something like looks didn't matter to her. He knew that she was mainly attracted to Naruto's confidence and self-assurance, something that she didn't have. Kiba sneered under his breath at the thought. He was just as cocky as Naruto, if not more. He would show off for her whenever possible, but she never seemed to notice him. She only had eyes for that idiot.

So he sat on the sidelines and helped her work on her confidence issue as best as he could. He slowly watched her blossom from a meek, awkward little girl into a strong, beautiful, young woman. She had grown and matured so much, but she didn't even realize it.

He didn't understand why she needed Naruto's attention to get more confidence. He didn't get why she didn't see that Naruto would never give her the attention that she craved, he only cared about impressing one girl. He could see that every time Naruto brushed her off to talk to Sakura Haruno, it crushed her. The one way she was trying to build her confidence, was actually destroying it.

And Kiba couldn't sit by and watch for much longer. If Naruto hurt her one more time, he was going to snap.

"There she is."

Shino's monotone voice tore Kiba from his thoughts. He looked up to see the object of his affection running towards the training area. Hinata Hyuuga ran as fast as she could, her long, black hair whipping around as she ran. Her large, violet eyes were filled with worry and shame. She breathed a sigh of relief when the training grounds came into view. She slowed to a stop when she was a few feet from the rest of the group.

"Finally!" Naruto stopped tapping his foot and threw his hands into the air.

Both Sakura and Kiba glared fiercely at Naruto, who didn't seem to notice them. Hinata blushed and stammered out her usually apologize, "G-gomen-nasai, Naruto-kun..."

Kiba tried to even out his temper and he waved the Hyuuga heiress off, "Don't apologize. We weren't waiting that long, Hinata."

Hinata heard Naruto grumble some more over how Sakura should stop giving him dirty looks. Sakura glared at him once more and muttered something about bashing Naruto's head in.

Hinata smiled awkwardly at Naruto, "W-would you like to start now, Naruto-kun?"

Hinata didn't notice that Kiba's mouth had twisted into a scowl. She was _always_ doing that to him. Anytime he tried to comfort her, usually because of Naruto's stupidity, she would simply brush it off. Then, she'd run back to Naruto like a little lost puppy. It always made him sick when she acted like that.

Kiba let out a low growl. He wanted her too see that Naruto was an oaf, who was in love with Sakura. He wanted Hinata to see how much he cared about her. Every time he tried to come up with a way to show her, all his ideas came back to him forcing his feelings on her. Kiba didn't want to do that because it would ruin their friendship. So, he kept his feelings a secret and suffered through Naruto's ignorance on a daily basis, watching her continually fawn over Naruto instead of him.

Kiba growled again when Hinata gave Naruto a radiant smile. He had always wished she would smile at him like that. Naruto looked at him, not even noticing Hinata's beaming. "Something wrong, mutt? You look pissed."

The animist's hand curled into a fist, in an attempt to suppress his anger. It didn't really seem to help.

"You don't have to answer him, Kiba." Sakura mumbled, tearing her glare away from Naruto to look at Kiba, "He's just being a busybody."

"Hey!" The blonde protested, frowning in Sakura's direction.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Kiba sneered and Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Shut up, dog-breath," Naruto growled back, taking a step towards Kiba.

"K-kiba-kun-" Hinata started to protest their argument when Kurenai stepped in, "Alright, alright. That's enough."

Kiba sighed and stepped back, he turned his back on the group and crouched down beside Akamaru. He began to talk to his best friend in a voice so low, that the others could not possibly hear them,"I told you she would show. She would never miss a day where we get to train with Naruto's squad."

Akamaru yipped and Kiba shook his head, "I'll try not to lose my temper, but I'm not making any promises."

He stood back up when he heard Kurenai speaking to the group, "Since Naruto and Kiba both seem so eager to get started, why don't we start off training with a practice match? And because they seem to be extra annoyed with one another today, Kiba and Naruto can spar."

Naruto threw his fist into the air and grinned. He obviously thought that it would be a simple match. Kiba shot him a dirty look and his lips curled back over his teeth. Naruto heard a low snarl and stopped celebrating. Everyone's eyes fell on Kiba, who had taken on a beast-like appearance.

He was crouched over, his arms extended outward. His lips were still pulled back, baring his canines. Kiba's whole body looked tense, like he would be ready to pounce at any time. Hinata thought he looked more like a lion than a dog.

Naruto gave him an amused look and struck a fighting stance. Hinata watched them both warily, wondering what was going through each of their minds. Naruto looked like this was just a game, but Kiba look completely serious. Hinata was actually somewhat frightened of him.

"I guess you're ready?" Naruto grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Kiba grit his teeth and his lips tugged up into a smile. This was just what he needed, a chance to knock Naruto on his ass and maybe impress Hinata at the same time. He could finally get all his frustration out and not get in trouble for it.

Kurenai motion for the two of them to walk to the center of the field. They did so, standing a few feet apart as the faced each other. Team eight's sensei stood back, her arm raised in the air as she prepared to signal for the fight to begin. The others gathered a few feet away, to observe the scrimmage. Kurenai's arm dropped, motioning for the fight to begin.

Kiba made the first move, rushing at his opponent and taking full advantage of his superior speed. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he moved to his right, getting out of Kiba's way. He was about to land, when he felt a tug on his jacket. His blue eyes widened when he saw claws latched firmly on the side of his shirt. Naruto felt himself being thrown to the ground and then felt something on top of him. He looked up to see Akamaru above him.

"Hey! Get off me!" He protested, squirming under the giant dog's paws.

Kiba stood over him, smirking. "You ran right towards him, dumb ass."

Naruto glared up at Kiba. Why did it seem like Kiba was acting ruder than lately?

Kiba's eyes darted from his opponent for only a second. They fell on their audience. His eyes narrowed when he observed something he wished he hadn't. Hinata was standing beside their sensei, one hand resting near her chest. Her eyes were fixed on Naruto and were filled with worry.

_Figures…meanwhile he's probably only worried about looking good in front of Sakura._ Kiba scoffed and turned back to his fight. Just as he turned around, there was a flash of black, orange, blue, and blonde. He felt something latch onto his shirt and then a shot to his jaw.

Kiba fell backwards, landing on his backside. He gazed up to see Naruto standing over him, a triumphant look on his face. Kiba snarled at him but Naruto wasn't fazed, "What happened, Kiba? Did you let yourself get distracted?"

"Not a chance," Kiba replied, wiping away the blood that was now leaking from his bottom lip, "But I should have guessed you'd escape."

"Of course. Don't loose your focus again. I mean…I know how distracting Sakura can be and all…"

Naruto didn't have to say anything else. Kiba's gaze drifted back to the tiny crowd watching them. He didn't miss the pained look in Hinata's eyes. It happened every time Naruto talked about Sakura and that look made him sick to his stomach. With that, he glared at the blonde, who noticed the renewed fierceness in Kiba's eyes.

Kiba jumped to his feet and tackled the blonde, who let out a surprised yelp. Naruto squirmed out of Kiba's grasp and began to protest. "What's it with you?! You're acting like you're five! We're not _wrestling_!"

Kiba's fangs clicked and he barked, "Shut up!"

He sprinted towards Naruto, his fingers forming a tight fist. He aimed it for Naruto's stomach, and landed his punch. Naruto stumbled backwards and Kiba managed to land another blow. He swung his other arm around, striking Naruto in the stomach again. This time, Naruto fell backwards, gripping his abdomen.

Kiba was about to continue his onslaught when something flitted in-between them. Kurenai's arms folded across her chest as she stared down at her student, "That's enough, Kiba. Go sit down and take a breather. You obviously can't handle this maturely."

Kiba shot her a quick glare, but obeyed and went back to the rest of his team. Kurenai watched his short trip back and she wasn't surprised when Kiba plopped down beside Hinata. Her mouth curved into a pout. _This behavior seems a bit extreme…even for Kiba. He's more emotionally into this fight than I would have thought. I always knew he didn't get along with Naruto but that seemed borderline hatred. I wonder why…_

Naruto wiped his brow and joined the rest of the group. He turned to his pink haired teammate and enthusiastically said, "What'd you think of the fight, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura smiled at him, "You did pretty good, but I thought Kiba had you beat for sure there…"

Naruto's enthusiasm instantly tanked, "Thanks a lot. I thought I did pretty good."

Hinata turned to him, her hands quivering as she spoke, "I thought y-you did good, too…"

Naruto turned to her for a brief moment. "Thanks, Hinata."

He gave her a quick pat on the back before turning back to Sakura. Hinata felt herself reeling back and forth from Naruto's touch, and her face went beet red. Kiba was on his feet in an instant, his strong arms trying to steady her. Hinata found her footing again and looked back at her teammate, "Thank you, Kiba-kun."

Kiba watched her turn back to Naruto, who was talking to Sakura. He imagined what Hinata's expression looked like and it made his insides churn. He mumbled a quick, "No problem."

Hinata wandered back over to Naruto's side, waiting patiently for him to say something to her. Kiba just stood there, dumbfounded by her repeated behavior. His tan fingers curled into a fist. A gently breeze swept through the air, ruffling his messy brown locks and black jacket. Kiba looked down when he heard a tiny whimper.

Akamaru was seated in front of him. His tail was wagging impatiently and his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He let out another whimper, cocking his head to one side. Kiba chuckled and gave his companion a pat on the head. "I guess she can't help it, boy…"

However, Akamaru could tell that his master couldn't take much more of this. With each passing moment of Naruto ignoring Hinata, Kiba's fist became tighter and tighter. At one point, veins began to pop out against his white knuckles.

"So are we done then?" Naruto propped his arms up behind his head. "I'm getting hungry. Want to go grab something to eat, Sakura-chan?"

Kiba's dark eyes flashed over to the group, just in time to watch Hinata's face fall. She drooped her head, not even bothering to give Naruto her pretty smile anymore. She turned back around and Kiba swore he saw something glistening in the corner of her eye.

_THAT'S IT!_ He thought, his jaw clenching tightly.

He knew that bastard was oblivious, but if he didn't even see her crying over him, then he truly was a complete moron. Hinata didn't deserve this. She didn't need to be hurt anymore by Naruto. Kiba opened his mouth to protest but he was interrupted by a bark from his dog. He looked over at the large animal, "What?"

Akamaru barked again and Kiba closed his eyes, his brows slanting down, "I can't keep quiet anymore. She needs to get over him. He'll probably have the nerve to confess to Sakura right in front of her."

"What did I do, Kiba?" The pink haired kunoichi asked, tearing his attention away from his dog.

"Nothing," Kiba spat out, unable to conceal his temper anymore.

"Don't take your bad mood out on Sakura-chan." Naruto mumbled, stepping beside his teammate and away from Hinata.

"Butt out, Naruto," Kiba growled, feeling the powerful urge to punch him in the face rising.

Hinata's lilac eyes widened, and she rushed over between them. She placed her hand on Kiba's arm in an attempt to calm him down. Kiba's tense muscles relaxed under her fingertips. He took a deep breath and became calm. That was, until she opened her mouth and whispered, "Naruto-kun was just trying to help. Please don't-"

Hinata stopped talking when she felt his muscles tighten under her grip. She peeked up, and what she saw caused her mouth to fall open. Kiba was glaring down at her, his jaw clenched. His mouth was curved down into a serious frown, one of his fangs jutting out.

"Stop doing that," He snarled under his breath.

Hinata let go of his arm and took a step back. She felt her words becoming stuck in her throat, but she managed to force them out, "S-stop doing what?"

Kiba closed his eyes and his eyebrow twitched, "Stop sticking up for _him_! I don't get what's so-"

Kiba stopped talking, the rest of his words boiling in the pit of his stomach and becoming tangled. He could finish forming his sentence; he was too angry. Hinata waited expectantly, her eyes wide. Naruto and Sakura were also watching, Sakura occasionally whispering in Naruto's ear. Even Shino was watching his display of outrage. Kiba felt his face go red. This wasn't the time or the place to be getting his frustrations out.

He opened one eye to peer down at Hinata. She looked like she was going to cry. Kiba frowned, feeling the fire in his gut become extinguished in an instant. He couldn't believe that he had caused that look to appear on her pretty face. He wouldn't believe it. Hinata parted her lips to say something, but he turned and stalked off, unable to even bear looking at her or Naruto.

--

Kiba flopped down his bed, one arm covering half his face. He closed his eyes and sighed into the fabric of his sleeve. Every time he closed his eyes, there she was. That sad, on the brink of tears look that he had caused. Her normally pale, gentle, amethyst eyes were replaced by clouded, milky ones. Her perfect lips, usually adorned with a shy smile, were puckered and pouting.

His eyes flashed open, in an attempt to escape the face that lurked behind his lids. However, it seemed that there was no way of escaping this torture. Even though he couldn't_ see_ it, he could still _feel_ it. Her tiny, quivering voice passed through his ears. His heart jumped into his throat, and the sound of his own pulse followed her voice. He could feel his heart drop down, almost into the pit of his stomach, where a tiny bit of rage still burned.

_I can't take much more of this. _He thought, covering his face with a pillow. He was going to go out of his mind not matter what he did. If he avoided her and his feelings, the guilt would eat away at him. He wouldn't be able to stand seeing her upset face plastered in the back of his head. If he did confront her, he'd die of embarrassment. There's no way someone like him should feel so spineless and mushy around a girl. He also didn't think he'd be able to take the rejection, which he knew was imminent.

What he didn't know, was which one was the lesser of the two evils.

Kiba tossed the pillow across the room and it landed with a light 'plop' on the floor. He glared at it for a moment, imagining that it was Naruto's head, before throwing his legs over the side of his bed. There was no point in sitting here moping. He needed to get out and try to forget his feelings.

Just as his tan fingers were about to curl around the doorknob, the door burst open and nearly hit him in the face. His sister poked her head in, a huge grin on her face. She held something in her hand. She lifted her hand up, the telephone dancing before his eyes. Hana said, with extreme glee, "There's a phone call for you, little brother."

"Who is it?" Kiba asked, scratching the back of his neck.

Hana's voice lowered to a whisper, "It's your girlfriend. What was her name aga-"

"Give me that," Kiba growled and snatched the phone out of her hands. He pressed the phone against his ear, "Hello?"

"H-hello, Kiba-kun..."

The sound of her sweet, little voice sent tremors up and down his spine. He had to grip the phone even tighter, to prevent it from slipping from his hand. He opened his mouth to ask her why she was calling, but she beat him to it. A flurry of words were sent into his ear, "Um...Kiba-kun...I was wondering if you could come over?"

She had said it so fast, that he barely understood the question. He blushed and replied, "S-sure."

"G-good. See you soon." There was an abrupt 'click' and she was gone.

Kiba could feel his heart smashing widely against his ribcage. She had invited him over to her house, even after he had upset her so much. He figured that she probably wanted to patch things up between them. He was glad because then he could finally get rid of this lingering guilt. At least that irritating feeling would be gone.

He heard a snicker from the doorway and he turned towards the source of the noise. His sister was leaning against the doorframe, a huge smile still plastered on her face.

"S-sure," She mocked, her grin stretching even wider. Kiba growled and threw the phone at the door, but she shut it just in time. The phone landed against the floor with a 'thud', and she left Kiba glaring at the closed door.

_Stupid Hana. I don't sound THAT pathetic...do I?_

Kiba shook his head, hoping that he didn't.

--

Kiba stood outside the gates of the Hyuuga mansion, Akamaru at his side. He plodded through, his legs threatening to reduce to jello at any second. He marched through the familiar corridors of the empty yard and up to the tiny house that he knew Hinata lived in. He went up the small flight of stairs and stood in front of her door, sucking in a deep breath.

He had rehearsed what he was going to say to her over and over in his head on the way here. Now that he was standing at her doorstep, all the practiced words and sentences vanished from his mind. He reached out very slowly and tapped lightly on her door.

Before he could inhale one last time, the door slid open. Hinata stood behind it, a spoon in one hand. Kiba exhaled loudly, feeling his heart beginning to go into overdrive. That was probably because Hinata's figure was only graced with a pair of khaki shorts and a dark purple tank-top.

"Hello, Kiba-kun." She smiled shyly at him. He could only blush and nod.

Hinata stepped to the side, allowing him to pass by. Kiba stepped into her tiny, apartment-like house, letting his eyes wander around the room. He had been inside plenty of times, but that was always with Shino. He never really had a good chance to look around.

The walls were washed with an ivory color and the floors were some kind of wood, a deep mahogany shade. In this room, was a small table with four pads surrounding it. Beside the table was an opening in the wall, which Kiba guessed led to another room. He glanced to his right and noticed that there were two more openings.

"Kiba-kun?"

Her gently voice tore him from his examination. He looked at her and she was staring at him with a confused expression. He smiled sheepishly and then asked, "So...what's up?"

"I just wanted to ask-" Her sentence was cut off by a loud hiss coming from the other room. Hinata looked alarmed and rushed through one of the openings, muttering something about the tea. Kiba chuckled lightly. She was cute when she got all panicky. He heard a sniffing sound down by his feet and looked to see his dog stretched out across the pads near the table. He sighed, "Akamaru. Behave."

Akamaru whimpered and stretched his front legs out. He didn't think he was misbehaving...

Kiba craned his neck to watch her in the kitchen. She was standing near the stove, stirring something in a pot. He felt his face flush when he realized he was ogling her.

_Pervert._ A voice in the back of his mind chided.

_I can't help it. _He argued back. _Blame HER._

He rubbed his temples, shaking his head. Now he was arguing with himself. He really was going to go out of his mind if he didn't do something. He had to apologize to her when she came back from the kitchen. If only that was as easy as it sounded.

Hinata returned moments later, a tiny smile plastered on her pretty face, "Gomen-nasai, Kiba-kun, but it will be a few more minutes."

"Sure," He didn't really care how long whatever took. As long as he got to talk to her.

He plopped down on one of the pillows near the table. She still lingered near the kitchen. Kiba propped his elbow on the table, "You were going to ask me something?"

He cringed at how indifferent he sounded, like he really didn't care what she wanted, but he never was really good at displaying those types of emotions. Luckily, Hinata didn't seem to notice his tone. She seemed to be worried about something because she started to fidget.

"Y-yes...I was just wondering..."

Kiba straightened up, "Are you okay?"

Hinata's mouth formed a thin line for a moment, before stretching into a smile, "Of c-course. The food's probably done. I'll be right back."

Before Kiba could open his mouth to protest, she disappeared into the kitchen. His mouth slowly closed, forming a toothy grin. She sure had gone through a lot of trouble for him, after he had gotten mad at her for no reason. He really didn't deserve a friend like her. His smile dipped into a frown. And if he didn't even deserve her as a friend, what made him worthy of more?

_Don't think like that! You deserve her more than that dolt!_ This was definitely true.

Meanwhile, Hinata was slowly loading food onto trays, trying to take her time to avoid going back into the other room.

Why was this so hard? It had never been hard talking to Kiba before. In fact, he was always the first person she wanted to talk to when she had a problem, because he would always listen, no matter how trivial the issue seemed. He always sat there, while she quietly explained her frustrations, and would always offer his opinion. He would always help her forget her problems. He would make her smile and laugh like nobody could, not even Naruto's laughter was that infectious.

She sighed, placing another rice ball onto a wooden tray. Yesterday it seemed like all of that had been shattered.

Hinata had never seen Kiba look like that before. She hadn't seen such a bitterness burning behind his normally lively onyx eyes. She had wanted to know why, unable to bear the thought of her best friend being upset. But then she had noticed the way he reacted around Naruto and her heart sank. He was angry, for whatever reason, with Naruto.

_Naruto-kun..._

This morning Hinata had racked her brain, while Kiba was still fuming over Naruto, wondering what the blonde boy could have done. Then, when she tried to ask him, he freaked out on her. That was what really confused her. After that, she wasn't sure who Kiba was mad at.

_Stop sticking up for him!_ His shouting rang in the back of her head.

He was mad because she had tried to stick up for Naruto? But she had always done that, and it never seemed to bother him before. Her heart thumped loudly in her ears as a saddening thought popped into her head. Was he, for some reason, trying to make her choose between him and Naruto?

She shook the thought from her brain and loaded the rest of the food up. She couldn't be thinking like that. Not when she had no idea who she would choose.

Hinata finished packing up the rest of the food and let out a defeated sigh. Looks like it was time to face the music. She trudged back out, carrying one of the multiple trays. Kiba raised one eyebrow at her, but she didn't seem to notice. She was too busy avoiding eye contact. She set the tray down on the table near her guest.

He eyed the tray, trying desperately to keep a glob of drool from slipping past his lips. Hinata's meals were always good, no matter what she made. "Thanks. This looks great."

"You really think so?" She asked quietly, her eyes drifting down to the food. She was never sure that her cooking was as good as everyone claimed.

"'Course."

"Then I'll go get the rest," She chirped, trying her best to hide her other brewing emotions.

"T-the rest?" Kiba asked, but she had already disappeared into the kitchen. He looked back down at the table. The plates were already overflowing with food, how much more could there be? He did eat a lot, but he could see himself barely finishing what was out already.

Before he could blink, she returned. She was balancing two trays, one on top of the other, and she wobbled her way over to the table. Hinata slowly set them down, spreading out the food across the table. Kiba just stared, unable to form any words. His stomach gurgled.

_How the hell am I supposed to eat all this? I'll hurt her feelings if I don't. I have to find someway to get rid of it all. _He thought, ignoring the flips his stomach was doing. When Hinata wasn't looking, he shoved some of the food off of his plate and into Akamaru's mouth. He silently prayed that she didn't see him.

"Is there something wrong, Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked, her head cocked to one side.

Kiba's face flushed, but he ignored the feeling and snatched up a rice ball. He shoved it into his mouth and, without thinking about using his manners, "Nope! Everything's great!"

Hinata ignored seeing the bits of mushed up rice in his cheeks and the tiny grains that flew from his lips. She knew Kiba wasn't exactly the most polite person in the village. She grabbed her own small portion of food and started eating, taking dainty bites. Kiba stopped chewing long enough to stare at her. Even the way she ate was cute.

"S-so..." Kiba began, trying to break the awkward silence that had washed over the room, "You wanted to ask me something?"

He ignored the cramp forming in his stomach and gave her his full attention. She was concentrating on the food in front of her, a faint blush on her pale cheeks, "Yes. I wanted to ask you a-about this morning..."

"Shoot," Kiba tried to control the trembling in his voice. He really didn't want to think or talk about what had happened that morning, but he knew it was inevitable.

"Well I um...I'm sorry!" She blurted out, her fingers balling up into fists.

Kiba's eyebrows shot up. This was unexpected. He thought that he should be the one apologizing.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled again, hiccuping. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to fight off the hot tears that threatened to start pouring out. Kiba panicked when he saw that wicked moisture. He never wanted to see Hinata cry. Without thinking, he scooted closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Shh..." He tried to sooth her as best he could, his fingers moving in a small circle on her shoulder. "What are you sorry for? I'm the one who should be sorry."

It had come out a lot easier then he thought. Maybe because he was willing to do or say anything to keep her from crying. He could feel her muscles relax and her shoulders stop shaking. She wiped the rest of the tears away, "I thought you were mad at me. Isn't that why you yelled at me before?"

Kiba's mouth formed a thin line as he tried to think of what to say. His lips parted every so slightly and he let out a shaky laugh, "More like I was mad _for _you."

"Huh?"

Kiba brushed the remaining tears that were on her cheeks with his thumbs, "Hinata, I-"

His explanation was interrupted by three impatient taps at the door. Kiba's hands fell from her face, his cheeks turning red. Hinata cleared her throat and excused herself to go see who was at the door. She stood up, scurrying out of the room.

He turned his back on the front door, silently cursing himself and whoever was waiting to be let inside. He had almost spilled his guts right then and there, but he also liked the feeling of her skin underneath his fingertips. Hinata didn't seem to mind too much either. Whoever was coming inside behind her was going to get what was coming to him.

"R-right in here, Naruto-kun..."

Kiba froze, his fingers slowly curling into tight fists. His lips pulled back over his teeth, revealing that they were clenched tightly together. He tried his best to kill the snarls that were threatening to rip up out of his throat, but his efforts weren't doing much.

His eyes slowly shifted and landed on the blonde standing in the doorway. Naruto's hands were tucked behind his head, and his lips were curved into a slight frown. Hinata peeked out from behind him, assessing Kiba's expression. Kiba turned his back on them, grumbling under his breath.

Of course. Of all the people that could've walked through the door, it had to be Naruto. The very last person in this village, no, on the face of the earth, that Kiba wanted to see.

But this should have been obvious to him from the start. Hinata would never just invite him over. He couldn't be that lucky. He should've known there would be some sort of catch.

_I thought that was a lot of food for one person._ He mused, his fingers clenching and unclenching. Akamaru let his paw rest on his master's foot, trying to figure out what Kiba planned to do. Kiba just shook his head, his jaw tightening.

"P-please sit down, Naruto-kun..." Hinata gestured to the empty seat across from Kiba. Naruto strode over, not even noticing Kiba's angry glare. He plopped down and began to shove food onto his plate. Hinata sat down at the head of the table, Naruto on her left and Kiba on her right.

Finally Naruto noticed that Kiba was trembling with anger. He set down his plate, folding his hands into his lap, "What's wrong with you? Don't tell me you're still mad from this morning?"

"You might say that," Kiba replied through his teeth.

One of Naruto's eyebrows arched, and he shrugged. He had no idea what Kiba had been mad about this morning. Up until now, he hadn't really thought about it anymore. If Kiba wanted to act like a sore loser, than that was his business.

"S-so..." Hinata mumbled, trying to build up the volume in her voice, "I guess you're wondering what's going on. Maybe I should explain now..."

Kiba didn't take his glare off of Naruto. He knew if he did, his scowl would be directed at Hinata, and she would get upset again. He couldn't handle that. He propped one of his elbow on the table and answered her in a slightly strained voice, "Explain."

Hinata stared at him for a moment, her pale eyes wide with curiosity. The look that Kiba was giving Naruto confirmed an underlying suspicion she had. Kiba wasn't angry with her, but with Naruto. Hinata spaced out and tried to figure out why. Her mind slowly faded away from her living room, replaying the scene from that morning. What had Naruto done to Kiba?

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Oh! Sorry!" She blinked, returning to the present. She shook her head and began to explain herself, "The reason I asked you both here was... because..."

She could feel Naruto's intimidating gaze on her. She glanced up, noticing that Kiba's eyes were still fixed on Naruto. The corners of his eyes were tight, but she noticed there was something other then anger there. There was pain. So much pain.

Hinata's mouth slowly fell open. She could feel a small quiver in her chest. Her hands slowly crept up, clutching the fabric of her shirt. The shaking under her skin increased when her hand found her heartbeat. It was her heart that was causing this feeling.

She peeked over at him once more and her heart crashed again. Hinata winced, her mouth clamping shut. This wasn't a pleasant feeling, it felt more like her heart was trying to blow itself up. It got worse every time she looked at her teammate.

_He's my best friend, and I would never want to see him in pain, but this feels worse than it should. What's wrong with me?_ She thought frantically. Her heart only reacted this way when...

_Naruto-kun..._Hinata looked up, remembering that Naruto was here. She straightened herself out, trying to wash away that awful feeling from before. She could sense that Naruto's expression had become worried, but she tried to ignore it. Something else worried her more. Hinata stiffened when she could feel a more serious gaze coming from her right side.

Kiba had watched her from the corner of his eye. She seemed fine at first, but then he saw Naruto's troubled expression. He had only caught a glimpse of the cause of Naruto's worry, but it was enough to make his stomach churn.

"Hinata?" He asked quickly. He allowed the concern in his voice to break through, forgetting that Naruto was around. He didn't care. Naruto could make fun of him as much as he wanted, as long as he could make Hinata feel better. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Kiba-kun. I'm fine." Instinctively, a smile spread across her lovely face. She tried waving him off, but she could sense that he wasn't buying it. She shook off his skepticism and tried to continue, "B-back to what I was saying before...I invited you both here so you could apologize."

"For what?" Naruto and Kiba scoffed in unison.

Hinata giggled, feeling the heavy tension lift, even if for just a moment. Kiba relaxed at the sound of her laugh. It was such a light and airy sound, like bells or a bird's chirping, that it always relaxed him. He wished she would laugh more often.

When the two boys still didn't figure out what to apologize for, Hinata frowned. She mumbled slightly, "Well...Kiba-kun is mad at Naruto-kun for _something."_

Now it was Naruto's turn to look at Kiba, as he waited expectantly for an apology. He had no clue whatsoever as to what Kiba was supposed to be apologizing for, but he didn't care. The chance of hearing Kiba Inuzuka say sorry for something was too good to pass up.

Kiba glared at his rival's impatient facade, "Don't look so cheery. I'm not apologizing for anything."

"B-but Kiba-kun," Hinata interrupted softly. "If Naruto-kun didn't do anything wrong then..."

Whatever else she said faded out in his ears. Kiba felt a tremor creeping up his spine, coursing through the rest of his body. There she went again, sticking up for _him._ He could feel the same anger from that morning, building inside him. If she or Naruto said one more word, he was going to blow.

"Yeah. She's right." Naruto agreed with a cocky grin, making Hinata blush. "Being a sore loser isn't helping anyone, Kiba. Just because I was about to beat you this morn-"

Kiba's fist came down on the table, "You think this is about that stupid sparring match?!"

Naruto frowned, "It isn't?"

"NO!" Kiba bellowed, his eyes flashing towards Naruto.

Hinata scrambled to her knees and reached out to grab Kiba's arm. She froze when he turned to her, her fingertips sinking into the fabric of his sleeve. Kiba's eyes softened when they locked with hers, "This is about Hinata."

"M-me?" She stuttered, her heart fluttering when he said her name.

"So...?" Naruto pursed his lips, still confused.

Kiba's attention whipped around and he ignored the trembling girl beside him. If he didn't tell Naruto off, he was going to explode, "So, you're an moron who can't see how much damage he's doing."

"Kiba-kun," Hinata whispered hoarsely from beside him. She began to fear that Kiba might say too much, but she couldn't deny that she was utterly curious to find out why she was the problem.

"Damage?" Naruto repeated, glancing at Hinata.

"Every time you flirt with Sakura. Every time you ignore her. You obviously don't see it but I do, and it's driving me insane. It happens every single day and I guess this morning was the last straw. I snapped." Kiba explained, his teeth clenched together.

Hinata eyes warily shifted to the blonde boy. He looked a little less confused, but he clearly didn't figure out her big secret. She let out a sigh of relief allowing her gaze to wander back to Kiba. Again, she felt a shiver travel down her spine and through the rest of her body.

_What is that?_ She thought. _Such a strange feeling, but not unfamiliar._

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "'Snapped' would be an understatement. You looked downright vicious, but I guess I did something to Hinata that I never noticed, huh? That's why you're mad?"

Kiba could only manage a small nod. The only thing that was keeping him from leaping across the table and punching Naruto, was Hinata's hand on his arm.

"Then _I'm_ sorry, Hinata. For whatever it is I did." Naruto said.

"I-It's okay..." She mumbled and she felt Kiba's muscles tighten under her grip.

"But it seems to me like you guys have your own issues to figure out first. Kiba, we can get back this some other time." Naruto rose and the two members of team eight watched him with question eyes. He turned to head towards the exit, "Thanks for _trying_ to fix things, Hinata. I wouldn't have known something was wrong, anyway. Oh, and thanks for the food. It was great."

Naruto flashed them both a quick grin, waved, and closed the door behind him. Hinata blushed and murmured, "You're welcome..."

Kiba just stared at the closed door, his mouth hanging open. _What just happened?_

His head slowly turned and he stared at the girl beside him, who was still looking at the door. He felt a tiny lump form in his throat. "Um..."

They were both suddenly _very_ aware of the close contact between them. Hinata quickly scooted away, her face burning up. She cleared her throat, her hands plastered firmly at her side, "S-sorry!"

"I-It's okay." Kiba muttered, his own face heating up.

"S-so..." Hinata began somewhat awkwardly, "You were mad at Naruto-kun for ignoring me? All that was for me?"

Kiba's jaw slowly tightened, his blush spreading to the roots of his hair, "Yeah."

She was astounded as she watched his uncomfortable appearance. It all became very clear to her in just a few seconds.

_More like I was mad FOR__ you._

She instantly realized the double meaning behind his words.

Kiba liked her. He had been all this time, and had never said anything to her before. He kept his feelings hidden, just like she did. And just like her, he was ignored by the one person he loved.

"Oh..." Was all she could murmur. She could begin to notice that sinking feeling in her chest again.

Kiba cocked his head to the side. He apparently didn't notice her sudden epiphany. Hinata began to twiddle her thumbs, trying to sort things out in her head before she said anything aloud.

But all she could focus on was this overwhelming guilt inside her. She knew how awful it felt to be ignored and Kiba had made a big deal about how bad Naruto was for hurting her. If that was the case, then wasn't she just as horrible as Naruto? Hinata never noticed Kiba's feelings, the same way Naruto never noticed hers. Anytime that he tried to comfort her, she would rush back to Naruto's side.

"N-no..." She hiccuped and Kiba became alarmed.

"Hinata?"

"You shouldn't stick up for me." She whispered, her pale cheeks going even paler, "I'm just as bad as he is..."

"Huh?"

Kiba blushed when Hinata latched onto his shirt again. He could only let out a befuddled gasp when she looked up at him with pleading eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it when she started to speak.

"I don't deserve this. You shouldn't love me after what I did..."

Kiba's face went blank; so she had figured him out. He took a deep breath, running his free hand through his hair, "I know I _shouldn't,_ but I do."

Hinata stared at him for a moment, trying to read his expression. His face was tense, except for his eyes. They were relaxed, gentle, almost warm. She could hear the sound of her own heart thumping in her ears.

She settled back into thought, an idea forming in the back of her head. She wondered about that throbbing feeling in her chest, what might have been the cause of it. Her eyes shimmered a bit, when the idea hit her head on.

What if she loved him back?

The pain that shot through her when he looked mad her. The way he could always make her laugh, no matter how bad she was feeling. The way he was always there for her, defending her at a moment's notice. And the intense feeling of her heart when she saw him in pain.

It was suddenly very clear to her that Kiba might be more then just her best friend. He might be exactly what she needed.

_The right person for me... _She thought as he stared at her with concerned eyes.

Hinata reached up, her fingers tracing the red tattoos on his cheeks. Her fingers slowly brushed across his cheeks, down the bridge of his nose, and stopped on his lips.

"Kiba-kun..." Her hand dropped back to her side.

"Yeah?"

"I'm very... confused." Hinata wasn't quite sure if the word adequately described how she was feeling but it was close enough.

"About what?" He asked, his fingertips slowly trailing up her arm.

"About _everything_," She murmured, ignoring the tingly feeling on her arm. "I'm thinking about things that I never even considered before. I never thought you could feel that way about me, and now that I know, I'm not sure how I feel about you."

Kiba's heart sped up. He had been bracing himself for immediate rejection, so this came as a shock to him. He slowly intertwined his fingers with hers, "You're not sure?"

"L-like I said, I'm confused." She blushed. "I'm only used to seeing and feeling this way around Naruto-kun. It's strange that something I was trying to stop, you know, the fight between you guys, m-made me think about this..."

Kiba frowned, his head tilted to one side, "Who would've thought that Naruto would help. Wait... how do you feel about him?"

Kiba's eyes narrowed as she tried to formulate an answer, "I-I'm not sure. It's still there... but it feels weaker. I don't know... this afternoon I was only worried about making you feel better."

A lop-sided grin appeared on his face and Hinata couldn't help but smile back. She blushed when he leaned in a little closer to her.

"But I think that everything that happened today made me realize that I love you..." She whispered thoughtfully, wondering if he was really listening. He seemed content just watching her.

Hinata let out a gasp when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into his lap. He rested his head on top of hers and muttered, "I don't really give a damn _how_ it happened, as long as it happened. As long as you keep saying it."

He pulled back for a moment to look at her face. Her eyes twinkled and her cheeks an adorable shade of pink. He moved his eyes down and felt his pulse increase when his gaze locked onto her lips. They were pouty and slightly parted, as if she was about to whisper something.

Kiba couldn't take anymore of it. His head was swimming from her appearance. He leaned down, smirking at her sharp intake of breath, and brushed his lips against hers. He tried to be as gentle as he could, planting short kisses on her closed mouth. His hands moved from hers and he cupped her face, his fingertips becoming tangled in some strands of her raven hair.

Hinata wasn't sure what to do, or how to react at first. She had never been kissed before. She could feel a burning sensation on her lips, but it wasn't painful. The feeling spread from her lips to wherever Kiba's hands were.

She sensed the shivers running up and down her spine and heard nothing but the sound of her heart beating out of control. Slowly and cautiously, she moved her trembling fingers across his chest and onto his shoulders. Her fingers interlocked at the nape of his neck. Hinata tilted her head to the side, and parted her lips ever so slightly, allowing him to deepen the kiss.

Kiba tugged lightly on her bottom lip before pulling away, enough to catch his breath, but still close enough that their noses were touching.

Hinata sucked in deep breaths, "K-Kiba-kun..."

"Sorry, I've been wanting to do that for a long time. Waiting for two years isn't that easy, you know." He chuckled lightly.

Hinata's brain was fuzzy. She wasn't sure if it was from the kiss, or from him saying that he waited that long. She pressed her hands against his chest, letting them rest there.

"I-I'm glad you waited," She stuttered and he laughed again.

He pursed his lips, trying to fight back a grin, "Me too, although I still can't believe this is happening. The idea that you could love me still sounds crazy."

"But I do. I love you," Her voice sounded so confident that she couldn't help but believe herself. She was certain that this strange, yet familiar, sensation was love. There was no other way to describe it.

"I love you too," He said, his soft breath blowing strands of black hair across her face, and he leaned in to kiss her again.

* * *

I'm not as happy with this one as I thought I would be, but thanks for reading and I hoped you liked it. Please review!


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